Sunny Afternoons
by Cheerstomaplesyrup
Summary: I got this idea from a video in YouTube, and by rewatching AOT No Regrets OVAs. I'm a sick person, I know. This story was originally published in Wattpad but I'm a weak person there, anyway, this story is just mainly about Percy trapped in a curse that Kronos cast on him and he needs to find a way to save all of his friends so he could break the curse.
1. Prologue

I saved them so many times before...

Why can't I save them now?

Today was the first day of August. Summer was about to end, but Camp Half Blood was still bustling with campers. It was a crisp, summer afternoon and Percy Jackson just woke up from his nap. He wiped off the drool on his face and tried to process where he was. He realized that he fell asleep inside the pavilion. He was alone there, not a single soul was with him. He found it odd since he was sure that just a while ago, there were a few chatting demigods a few feet away from him. 'They must've left, I guess.' he thought. He stood up and went looking for his girlfriend.

The afternoon sun was beating down on the boy as he walked, he saw a few campers doing their afternoon activities, and that was when it hit him. He was supposed to be in the arena with Annabeth training and sparring with the new campers, but his afternoon nap made his mind hazy. "Ah, Zeus." He muttered, ignoring the distant rumbling of thunder in the sky. He sprinted towards the arena, hoping that he wouldn't be confronted by a very angry but gorgeously beautiful girlfriend.

As soon as he arrived, his fears were confirmed. "Where have you been?" An irritated girl asked. "Uh, I was asleep?" Percy said, hoping that his answer didn't sound like a question. Annabeth rolled her eyes, "I'll let your excuse slip this time, but you still need to help me with training."

"What a day, eh?" Percy smirked at Annabeth, the girl rolled her eyes, " Don't think that I have forgotten, you'll still have a punishment."

"What? Aww, c'mon I was just a little late."

"Tardiness isn't a good thing, no kisses for a week."

"That's not fair," Percy let out his best puppy eyes, hoping that he could lighten his punishment. "No, that won't work on me." Annabeth said, crossing her arms.

"Ugh, I bet that you won't last a week without a kiss."

"I bet that I will." Annabeth replied, her stormy gray eyes had a victorious glint. Percy sighed, when suddenly something caught his eye. A shadow was lurking just by the entrance of the forest. Annabeth saw the troubled expression on her boyfriend's face, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nah, just a little hungry. C'mon, an afternoon snack sounds fun."

As they continued to walk, Percy couldn't get a thought out of his head.

Why does it feel like... something is about to happen?

A chill went down his spine, his hand instinctively went to his pocket. He gripped his pen tightly, "Percy?"

One

"Percy, what are you doing?"

Two

"Percy, where are you going?"

Three

"Wait, Percy!"

Four

I have to find him

Five

I have to kill him

Six

I need to stop this

Seven

Even if I lose my life

Eight

As long as I save theirs

Nine

I would be alright

Ten

If I don't, then I'll be left all alone

Eleven

And I'll have to live in this nightmare

Twelve

Over and over again, looping, repeating, infinite, endless


	2. Enchiladas

A boy knelt on the forest floor, tired and alone. He knew that he was supposed to do something. Something that could change his world, but he forgot what it was. In frustration, he screamed. He curled into a fetal position and sobbed, he knew something was wrong. It was as if all of this has happened before.

Percy was breaking. He couldn't keep it all inside anymore, he felt hopeless, confused and alone. "Percy?" He whirled around and pointed his sword towards the source of the sound. He was greeted by a terrified satyr, whom he recognized. "G-grover?" He lowered his sword. "Wha-what's going on? Why are you here all alone? Did something happen?" Grover knelt down, he gripped Percy's shoulders. Tears fell from the boy's eyes, "I think I'm going insane, Grover. There's something wrong with me."

"Hey, hey, don't say that. Look, tell me what's troubling you, I could help you, y'know." Grover tensed and stood up. He sensed something behind him, "Grover? Is there something wrong." Percy asked, "Do you...hear something... coming closer?" Grover asked, they kept quiet for a long time, after listening to the silence, Percy heard a distant thumping, it sounded almost like footsteps made by a huge beast.

It all happened so quickly, the next thing Percy knew, Grover fell down to the ground, his shirt red with blood from a huge cut in his chest. Percy's eyes widened twice their size, "...Ugh, Percy..." The satyr groaned, The boy scrambled towards his injured friend, he cradled his head in his arms. "Grover, please, don't die...hold on, I'll take you to camp-"

"No... the cut... it's deep...I'll probably be reincarnated...into a... poppy?"

"No, no, no, Grover, you're going to live, you still need to protect the wild, you still need to see Juniper," tears fell from Percy's eyes once again, "... You're my best friend...you can't die that easily..."

Grover coughed up blood, "Ah... Juniper... I wish I could tell her...how much I love her..." The satyr looked at Percy straight in the eye, "Do me a favor...give me food...okay?"

"Yes, I'll bring you the most tastiest enchiladas, tin cans and loads of espressos. It'll be a banquet, all of us will be there. You'll be there Grover."

"A... banquet...so...much...food..."

"Grover?"

Percy hugged the satyr's lifeless body, he closed his eyes before they became glassy. He carefully laid him on the ground, his sorrow became anger. He uncapped his pen and Riptide grew into three feet of lethal bronze. His hand gripped his sword, "Ah, I could watch that over and over again." The boy whirled around and saw... himself. Percy was motionless, the boy looked exactly like him, but he was different. The Percy clone had a malicious grin stretched on his pale face, his eyes weren't the usual sea-green, they were replaced by a harsh gold hue, glinting with evil light. "...Who are you?" Percy asked, "Tch, have you forgotten so soon?"

"What are y-"

"Perhaps, you might remember me from our last encounter in Olympus?"

Percy gasped, the same golden eyes, the cold voice that would make his spine shiver. "Kronos..."

"Attaboy, I'm merely just a fragment of myself, but I'm strong enough to torment you, over and over again."

Anger doused Percy's confusion, he screamed as he charged, his eyes glowing with hate. He swung his sword, anger blinding him. Each swing missed Kronos everytime, "You are just making a fool of yourself, Jackson." In a single swipe of his hand, Kronos sent Percy flying a few feet away from him. Percy grunted as he hit the ground, "You..." the demigod growled, he struggled to stand and made a final attempt to at least cut the being before him. But the titan swatted him away once again, as if he was nothing but a fly.

Percy smashed against a tree, his sword flew out of his hand. Kronos slowly walked towards the half awake boy, he held the boy's chin, forcing him to look up. "So helpless and vulnerable, I could kill you so easily right now. But I love to torture you, to tease you with freedom so close, but still out of reach." Kronos taunted, grinning as he let go of the boy's chin.

"Remember the deal, Jackson. You win the game, you'll escape from all of this. Lose again, I'll get to see you suffer, which will please me greatly, 'till the next loop~" Kronos disappeared in the forest shadows.

Deal? What deal? What was he talking about?


	3. Light and Dark

Percy opened his eyes, he looked around and found himself in the pavilion once again. "Oi, get up already." Someone smacked Percy's head, "OW! Y'didn't have to do that!" He complained, rubbing his head. Nico rolled his eyes "Oh well, me and Will were headed towards the forest-"

If they go in there, they might face Kronos. I can't lose them as well.

"Wait," Percy interrupted, "I wanna go too." Nico raised an eyebrow, "I thought you were supposed to be training with Jason,"

"No, I have a feeling, something's 'bout to go down." Percy muttered the last few words, "What were you saying?" Will asked, "O-oh, nothing. It's nothing. Training is boring anyway, I wanna do something else."

"...If you say so." Nico said, "But before we go, wipe that drool off of your face first."

"Hey Will,"

"Yeah?" The son of Apollo replied, "Is Grover in the infirmary?" Percy questioned,"That's a weird one, why would Grover be in the infirmary? He was just talking to you right before you fell asleep in the pavilion."

What? But I just saw him die.

"By the way, what are we doing in the forest anyway?"

"I dunno. Nico said he sensed some disturbance here, something that's messing with death or something."

"You didn't have to come along though," Nico interrupted, "Will and I could handle this on our own." Percy laughed, "No way am I letting two minors wander into the forest all on their own. Who knows, something might happen to them...if ya know what I mean."

"Jackson, I swear to the gods, if you're talking about what I'm thinking that you're talking about, I will kick you."

"What? I don't want you to die at a young age. You should listen to your elders, young man."

"I'm practically older than you, so you should listen to me first."

"Hey, do you guys hear that?" Will asked. The two stopped bickering and listened.

The familiar sound of something closing in fast filled Percy's ears.

Shit.

"Be on guard," Percy ordered, the two demigods with him readied their weapons, their eyes searching the trees for any signs of incoming threats. The forest was deadly quiet, as if it was holding its breath.

He didn't even see it. It was so fast that Percy didn't even see what attacked Will Solace. The son of Apollo fell down, his bow aimed at an enemy he never got a chance to kill, much less see...for his head has been sliced clean off. Nico saw the lifeless body of the demigod, something inside of him snapped, he let out a cry full of hurt and hatred. The shadows around him thickened, cracks and fissures began to form on the ground and skeletons rose to the son of Hades's command. With half a legion of undead soldiers under his command, Nico charged the enemy.

Percy finally saw what they were fighting, a humanoid shadow that seemed to be ten feet tall, Percy has never seen a monster like this, he wasn't even sure if it was something from Greek mythology. It had no eyes or nose, but it had a mouth that could open so wide, Percy was sure that it could easily swallow a school bus. Percy snapped out of his trance and uncapped his pen.

This monster has Kronos written all over it. Surely if I defeat this monster, all will go back to normal...

He charged, but he stopped when he realized that Nico didn't need any help dealing with the creature. Percy was terrified, not by the monster, but by Nico. His power radiated from his body and from his Stygian iron sword, dark tendrils whipped at the monster, the skeleton army surrounded the enemy, throwing spears and hacking at the creature's legs. The ground shook violently as more cracks and fissures formed.

I've seen this before...

"DIESTI BASTARDO!!!"

Nico... something is going to happen to him...but what?

Percy saw smoke coming from the other demigod, that's when he realized something...

"NICO! STOP, YOU'RE BURNING UP!" But he was ignored, Nico didn't stop attacking the creature. He gave it one final blow by stabbing it's head with his sword, ultimately killing the monster.

Percy ran towards the boy before he collapsed, "Shit, Nico. You shouldn't have overused your powers. Damn, you're burning up." Nico leaned on his cousin, barely hearing what Percy was saying. Percy gave Nico a piece of ambrosia he had in his pocket. The ambrosia didn't have any effect on the boy, "Percy... I don't think... I have much time left." Nico said, Percy gripped his shoulder, "You are going to live, you're not going to die here. You'll never die in a place like this."

"Heh... that's what I thought...even though... what's the purpose for...me to live?...Will's dead and... I never got a chance to tell him... I have wanted to tell him...for so long..."

"Nico, please stop. You're going to live... Will's not going to like it if you die right now."

"...he was an idiot...an annoying, amazing, beautiful idiot... that's what I love about him..."

Percy hauled Nico and carried him on his back, he heard every dying breath the son of Hades took, he felt Nico's faint heartbeat, growing weaker every second. "Stop talking shit, You're going to live, I will take you to the infirmary-"

"I'd be a dead man walking... without him...my days would...be dark...grey...cold... don't worry, Will...I'm coming..."

"...Nico..."

Percy broke down crying, he held his cousin's cold, lifeless body against his chest. "Painful, isn't it?" That cold voice ignited the rage inside Percy. "You bastard, why are you doing this to me?"

"I wanted revenge. You foiled my plans, I would have overthrown the gods if it weren't for you. I would've become the Lord of the universe once again, all powerful, all mighty."

Percy laid Nico's body gently on the ground, he wiped off his tears and glared at the Titan. "You may be older than me, but you still have nothing in that brain of yours. Revenge will take you nowhere. Move on and accept your defeat."

"Oh, I have accepted my defeat. Because I know that I'll rise once again, and you won't be around to stop me. So for now, as I await my second coming, I'll torture you, letting you watch your friends die, over and over again."

"You son of a bitch, I may not be around that time but I'm well aware that someone will stop you." Percy brandished his blade, "As you wait for your second coming, I might as well delay it for now."

The son of Poseidon charged toward the Titan.


End file.
